Iran halts stoning of woman

Tehran - Iran's judiciary says the controversial stoning sentence for a woman convicted of adultery will not be implemented for the time being.

The top judicial official in the province where the woman was convicted, Malek Ajdar Sharifi, has told the state news agency the sentence "will not be implemented for the time being."

He said in Sunday's report that the death sentence for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would still be implemented if the judiciary wanted, despite protests from the West, adding that her crimes were "various and very serious" and not limited to adultery.

The outcry over the death sentence is the latest thorn in Iran's relationship with the international community, with the United States, Britain and international human rights groups urging Tehran to stay the execution.